Breakdown of Voeg één lepel azijn toe aan de salade.
één
one
de salade
the salad
toevoegen
to add
de lepel
the spoon
aan
to (recipient)
de azijn
the vinegar
Questions & Answers about Voeg één lepel azijn toe aan de salade.
Why is there no word for "of" between lepel and azijn?
This is a classic example of how Dutch handles quantities. When using a measure word (like lepel, kilo, or glas), you place it directly before the noun it measures without any preposition. So, while English says "a spoon of vinegar", Dutch simply juxtaposes them: een lepel azijn.
Why are there accent marks on één?
The accents indicate that this is the number one (één) rather than the indefinite article a/an (een). This tells the reader to stress the word, emphasizing that you should add exactly one spoonful, not just a spoonful.
Where does toe come from in this sentence?
It is the separable prefix of the verb toevoegen (to add). In an imperative sentence (giving a command), the verb splits. The conjugated part (voeg) takes the first position, and the prefix (toe) gets pushed towards the end of the clause, right before the prepositional phrase.
Could I use in or bij instead of aan for "to the salad"?
It is best to stick with aan. The verb toevoegen is a fixed combination with the preposition aan when indicating the recipient of the addition. The standard structure to memorize is iets toevoegen aan iets (to add something to something).
Learn Voeg één lepel azijn toe aan de salade and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free